Mother thanks kind garda for lift home after being stranded with car full of Christmas presents on dual carriageway

Niamh says her kids were 'living their best lives' in the patrol car, asking Garda Dave about his job and his Christmas plans. File Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

A kind member of An Garda Síochána went out of his way to help a mother, her two young children, and their car full of presents to get home safely for Christmas.

Civil servant Niamh Desmond said she had been travelling home to Portarlington after visiting family in Wicklow when her car's engine gave out on the dual carriageway on the outskirts of Naas on Thursday evening.

Recognising something was wrong, she steered the car off the road, brought it to a halt, and hopped out along with her son, 11, and her daughter, 7.

Her car's engine totally failed, and its controls stopped functioning. 

Niamh contacted roadside assistance, who informed her she would likely have to wait at the roadside with her car for up to two hours — an unappealing prospect on a cold and dark winter's evening.

But no sooner had her call ended did a friendly garda named Dave happen across Niamh and her vehicle. 

He quickly decided to get Niamh and her children away from the narrow side of the dual carriageway.

After calling in the incident, Garda Dave offered to bring Niamh and her kids to nearby Naas so they could wait for her husband to collect them. When she told him her in-laws lived on the outskirts of the town, he insisted on dropping them there altogether.

"I told him I didn't want to leave the car as it was full of the kids' Christmas presents and their presents from grandparents, aunties, and uncles and everything.

"He said, 'sure bring it with you'" and he kindly unloaded it all into his squad car.

'Living their best lives'

During the trip, Niamh says her kids were "living their best lives" in the back of the patrol car, asking Garda Dave about his job and his Christmas plans.

He told them he had young children himself and was looking forward to getting home to spend time with them.

Niamh says she's sure the trip would be a "core and positive" memory for her kids and "the highlight of their school holidays".

"I admit I was quite terrified, going, 'my two kids are stuck on the side of the road now'. But he really lightened the mood for us. It was lovely."

Niamh also she said she has got in touch with Garda Info online in the hopes of contacting Dave's station directly — her children have insisted on sending him a Christmas gift of some sweets for helping them out.

"He was an absolute gentleman and a true public servant. I hope he has a happy Christmas," Niamh added.